Performing an analysis of information to identify a source of an error related to a device

Abstract

A tester device may establish a connection to customer devices using protocols, such as a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) protocol or an Open Mobile Alliance device management (OMA DM) protocol. The tester device may receive information related to wireless communications or operations of the customer devices and the information may be determined by the customer devices. The tester device may perform an analysis of the information. The tester device may provide instructions to the customer devices to cause the customer devices to use a channel to communicate. The tester device may perform a throughput test of the customer devices. The tester device may receive additional information based on performing the throughput test. The tester device may perform a comparison of the information and the additional information. The tester device may provide other instructions to the customer devices to cause the customer devices to use the channel.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A tester device, comprising:
 one or more processors to:
 establish a connection to multiple customer devices using a set of protocols to obtain a customer premises-wide view of wireless communications or operations of the multiple customer devices,
 the wireless communications being via a channel of a radio frequency, 
 the set of protocols including:
 a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) protocol, or 
 an Open Mobile Alliance device management (OMA DM) protocol; 
 
 
 receive, from the multiple customer devices, information related to the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices based on establishing the connection,
 the information being received via use of the set of protocols, 
 the information being determined by the multiple customer devices rather than by the tester device or another device external to the multiple customer devices; 
 
 perform an analysis of the information to determine whether metrics related to the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices satisfy corresponding thresholds based on receiving the information; 
 provide a set of instructions to the multiple customer devices to cause the multiple customer devices to use a different channel to communicate based on determining whether the metrics related to the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices satisfy the corresponding thresholds; 
 perform a throughput test, or another test, of the multiple customer devices based on providing the set of instructions to the multiple customer devices; 
 receive additional information related to the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices from the multiple customer devices based on performing the throughput test; 
 perform a comparison of the information and the additional information to determine whether the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices improved when using the different channel based on receiving the additional information; and 
 provide another set of instructions to the multiple customer devices to cause the multiple customer devices to use the channel or the different channel based on determining whether the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices improved when using the different channel. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The tester device of  claim 1 , where the one or more processors are further to:
 identify a location to which to move a first customer device, of the multiple customer devices, to improve the wireless communications or the operations of the first customer device based on the information related to the wireless communications or the operations of a second customer device, of the multiple customer devices; and 
 generate a recommendation to move the first customer device to the location based on identifying the location. 
 
     
     
       3. The tester device of  claim 1 , where the one or more processors, when performing the analysis, are to:
 perform multiple types of analyses using the information based on receiving the information,
 the multiple types of analyses including analyses of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) value, a line attenuation value, or a signal quality value, 
 the multiple types of analyses being performed in a particular order to identify a cause of the metrics not satisfying the corresponding thresholds; and 
 
 where the one or more processors are further to:
 generate a recommendation related to the multiple customer devices based on performing the multiple types of analyses. 
 
 
     
     
       4. The tester device of  claim 1 , where the one or more processors, when establishing the connection, are to:
 establish the connection to the multiple customer devices via a local area network (LAN) and without establishing the connection via a wide area network (WAN),
 the LAN being associated with a customer premises at which the multiple customer devices are located; and 
 
 where the one or more processors, when receiving the information, are to:
 receive the information via the LAN and without receiving the information via the WAN based on establishing the connection via the LAN and without establishing the connection via the WAN. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The tester device of  claim 1 , where the one or more processors are further to:
 determine that a particular metric, of the metrics, does not satisfy a corresponding threshold based on performing the analysis; and 
 determine that a software update or a hardware update for the multiple customer devices can improve the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices based on determining that the particular metric does not satisfy the corresponding threshold. 
 
     
     
       6. The tester device of  claim 1 , where the one or more processors are further to:
 provide instructions to the multiple customer devices to cause the multiple customer devices to use a particular frequency spectrum to communicate based on receiving the information,
 the particular frequency spectrum being different than a frequency spectrum previously used by the multiple customer devices; 
 
 receive other information from the multiple customer devices based on providing the instructions to the multiple customer devices; 
 perform another comparison of the information and the other information based on receiving the other information; and 
 where the one or more processors, when performing the analysis, are to:
 perform the analysis based on performing the other comparison of the information and the other information. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The tester device of  claim 1 , where the one or more processors, when receiving the information, are to:
 receive the information in real-time or near real-time using the UPnP protocol or the OMA DM protocol. 
 
     
     
       8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 establish a connection to multiple customer devices using a protocol to obtain a customer premises-wide view of wireless communications or operations of the multiple customer devices,
 the wireless communications being via a channel of a radio frequency, 
 the protocol including a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) protocol or an Open Mobile Alliance device management (OMA DM) protocol; 
 
 receive, from the multiple customer devices, information related to the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices based on establishing the connection,
 the information having been recorded by the multiple customer devices during the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices rather than by a tester device or another device external to the multiple customer devices; 
 
 perform an analysis of the information to determine whether metrics related to the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices satisfy corresponding thresholds based on receiving the information; 
 provide a set of instructions to the multiple customer devices to cause the multiple customer devices to use a different channel to communicate based on determining whether the metrics related to the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices satisfy the corresponding thresholds; 
 perform a throughput test of the multiple customer devices based on providing the set of instructions to the multiple customer devices,
 the throughput test testing the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices; 
 
 receive additional information related to the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices from the multiple customer devices based on performing the throughput test; 
 perform a comparison of the information and the additional information to determine whether the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices improved when using the different channel based on receiving the additional information; and 
 provide another set of instructions to the multiple customer devices to cause the multiple customer devices to use the channel or the different channel based on determining whether the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices improved when using the different channel. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to perform the throughput test, cause the one or more processors to:
 perform an upstream throughput test between a first customer device, of the multiple customer devices, and a second customer device, of the multiple customer devices, based on providing the set of instructions to the multiple customer devices; 
 perform a downstream throughput test between the first customer device and the second customer device based on providing the set of instructions to the multiple customer devices; and 
 determine a result of the upstream throughput test and the downstream throughput test based on performing the upstream throughput test and the downstream throughput test. 
 
     
     
       10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
 identify the first customer device or the second customer device as a cause of the metrics not satisfying the corresponding thresholds based on determining the result of the upstream throughput test and the downstream throughput test; and 
 generate a recommendation to replace the first customer device or the second customer device to improve the wireless communications or the operations based on identifying the first customer device or the second customer device as the cause of the metrics not satisfying the corresponding thresholds. 
 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
 generate a recommendation to move a first customer device, of the multiple customer devices, to a particular location based on performing the analysis of the information,
 the particular location being determined based on other information received from a second customer device, of the multiple customer devices; 
 
 receive an indication that the first customer device has been moved to the particular location based on generating the recommendation to move the first customer device to the particular location; and 
 perform another analysis of the additional information received from the first customer device based on receiving the indication that the first customer device has been moved to the particular location. 
 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to perform the analysis, cause the one or more processors to:
 perform the analysis of the information by analyzing the metrics in a particular order and in a process-of-elimination manner to identify a cause of the metrics not satisfying the corresponding thresholds based on receiving the information. 
 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
 provide the information to a remote support device to permit the remote support device to provide a remote support service to the multiple customer devices. 
 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
 provide instructions to the multiple customer devices to cause the multiple customer devices to change frequencies used to communicate based on determining whether the metrics satisfy the corresponding thresholds; 
 perform another throughput test of the multiple customer devices after the multiple customer devices have changed frequencies based on providing the instructions to the multiple customer devices; and 
 determine whether the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices improved based on performing the other throughput test. 
 
     
     
       15. A method, comprising:
 establishing, by a tester device, a connection to multiple customer devices using a protocol to obtain a customer premises-wide view of wireless communications or operations of the multiple customer devices,
 the protocol including a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) protocol or an Open Mobile Alliance device management (OMA DM) protocol, 
 the protocol permitting direct communication between the tester device and the multiple customer devices, 
 the multiple customer devices communicating via a channel of a radio frequency; 
 
 receiving, by the tester device, information related to the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices based on establishing the connection,
 the information being received from the multiple customer devices via use of the protocol, 
 the information having been determined by the multiple customer devices rather than by the tester device or another device external to the multiple customer devices; 
 
 performing, by the tester device, an analysis of the information to determine whether metrics related to the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices satisfy corresponding thresholds based on receiving the information; 
 providing, by the tester device, a set of instructions to the multiple customer devices to cause the multiple customer devices to use a different channel to communicate based on determining whether the metrics related to the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices satisfy the corresponding thresholds; 
 performing, by the tester device, a throughput test, or another test, of the multiple customer devices based on providing the set of instructions to the multiple customer devices; 
 receiving, by the tester device, additional information related to the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices from the multiple customer devices based on performing the throughput test; 
 performing, by the tester device, a comparison of the information and the additional information to determine whether the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices improved when using the different channel based on receiving the additional information; and 
 providing, by the tester device, another set of instructions to the multiple customer devices to cause the multiple customer devices to use the channel or the different channel based on determining whether the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices improved when using the different channel. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , where performing the throughput test comprises:
 performing parallel throughput tests of the multiple customer devices or serial throughput tests of the multiple customer devices based on establishing the connection to the multiple customer devices; and 
 where receiving the additional information comprises:
 receiving the additional information based on performing the parallel throughput tests or the serial throughput tests. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 identifying a cause of the metrics not satisfying the corresponding thresholds based on performing the analysis of the information; and 
 obtaining software for the multiple customer devices to improve the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices based on identifying the cause of the metrics not satisfying the corresponding thresholds,
 the software being related to the wireless communications or the operations of the multiple customer devices, or 
 
 providing instructions to the multiple customer devices to cause the multiple customer devices to obtain the software. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 generating a recommendation to use an extender based on performing the analysis of the information; 
 receiving an indication that the extender is being used based on generating the recommendation to use the extender; and 
 where performing the throughput test comprises:
 performing the throughput test based on receiving the indication that the extender is being used. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 storing a result of the analysis based on performing the analysis; and 
 using the result of the analysis to perform another analysis of multiple other customer devices. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 15 , where performing the comparison comprises:
 performing a first comparison of first information and a first threshold to identify a cause of the metrics not satisfying the corresponding thresholds based on receiving the first information; 
 performing a second comparison of second information and a second threshold to identify the cause of the metrics not satisfying the corresponding thresholds based on receiving the second information; 
 determining a result of the first comparison and the second comparison based on performing the first comparison and the second comparison; and 
 identifying the cause of the metrics not satisfying the corresponding thresholds based on determining the result of the first comparison and the second comparison.